Information kiosks have been used to assist in orienting people to new places or to provide information regarding scheduled events. Kiosks may be found in tourist locations (e.g., airports, highway rest areas, hotels), university campuses, and conference facilities. These kiosks typically allow a user to view information such as, for example, maps, tourist attractions, and nearby restaurants.
Kiosks assist in orienting users by providing location and schedule information. For example, at a conference, a conference attendee may approach a kiosk and select to view the schedule of the day's events. At a large conference, many events may be scheduled simultaneously. The attendee views the list to determine the desired events to attend, as well as their locations and times. Some conferences assist attendees by categorizing events into tracks of events that appeal to a particular category of people to make it easier for an attendee to determine how best to use his or her time.
Large conferences have begun to rely on computer-readable badges to identify attendees. The badge may include a barcode or a magnetic strip to allow badge readers to determine whom the attendee is and what privileges they have purchased. The badges are used at entrances to the conference to ensure each person has paid to participate, as well as, at various booths throughout the conference so that vendors may collect information electronically about attendees interested in their products.